Bridesmaids

[kanding]

Oct 28, 2011 12:52:51 GMT -4 satellite said:

I just rented this and didn't find it that funny. I thought it was well written, but I think the main characters were too old or something, so it just didn't sit right with me. Like Annie's in her mid-30s and still doing the f-buddy thing? Really?

I didn't think Annie was too old for the fuck-buddy thing. I guess that can work at any age. It was just so depressing because a) the buddy was such an ass and b) she was obviously looking for something better. Early in the movie, fuck-buddy Jon Hamm asked her if she was looking to get more serious with him and she hemmed and hawed and guarded herself. She would probably have gotten more serious with him (disasterously) if he'd been inclined that way. She was just so lost that she grabbed at anything. The problem wasn't the fuck-buddy thing; the problem was that it wasn't going to make her happy and she knew it. Hell, she could probably have juggled having a fuck-buddy while looking for someone better if she'd been in the right place in her life but she wasn't.

Honestly, the first half-hour of the movie made me uncomfortable. Annie was just so humiliated by her life. I got a little tougher after that and enjoyed it more, but yikes, I had to turn off the movie a few times in the beginning.

[LurkerNan]

I was uncomfortable watching the movie because I was watching it with my best friend. The elephant in the room was how insane and jealous she acted when I got married. It never got as bad as in the movie, but there were definitely tears and tantrums because she was jealous of the other girl I asked to be my bridesmaid . I didn't name either of them Maid of Honor to avoid drama, but drama was what I got anyway.

She could only get through half the movie before she decided to go home. If we had known how on point the movie was for our history, neither of us would have sat down to watch it together.

[Sunnyhorse]

Nov 1, 2011 16:57:36 GMT -4 kanding said:

Honestly, the first half-hour of the movie made me uncomfortable. Annie was just so humiliated by her life. I got a little tougher after that and enjoyed it more, but yikes, I had to turn off the movie a few times in the beginning.

This is set to arrive from Netflix today, and I think Mr. S. is way more eager to see it than I am, which is confusing him. I'm not really a fan of "excruciating comedy," and from what I can tell, this movie is a textbook example. (Also, I think Kristen Wiig is funny as hell, but I can only take her in very small doses. Gonna be a long night.)

[iClaudia]

Nov 2, 2011 11:54:08 GMT -4 LurkerNan said:

I was uncomfortable watching the movie because I was watching it with my best friend. The elephant in the room was how insane and jealous she acted when I got married. It never got as bad as in the movie, but there were definitely tears and tantrums because she was jealous of the other girl I asked to be my bridesmaid . I didn't name either of them Maid of Honor to avoid drama, but drama was what I got anyway.

She could only get through half the movie before she decided to go home. If we had known how on point the movie was for our history, neither of us would have sat down to watch it together.

Wow... I can't even begin to imagine how uncomfortable that must have been.

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie again precisely because Annie's life is so wrenching. As someone whose life is in a less than ideal place, it was nice to watch a movie with a female protagonist who's life was a total mess. Usually the female lead in a romantic comedy has a glamorous and/or high paying job, a fabulous wardrobe, a beautiful apartment and all that's missing is true love, which the movie resolves at the end. Annie is essentially having to start over from scratch and is completely at a loss as to how to get back on track. I found her relatable but I can see how it would be hard to watch her at the beginning. I'd probably cringe if I had to watch my own life on the big screen!

[huntergrayson]

I think the fact that it is so wrenching and realistic dramatically is what makes me think that this is one of the few comedies I can rewatch due to the emotional factor. Once all the jokes and story beats are known, what you're left with is performance and character and emotional connection from the audience.

And, damn LurkerNan. Just....damn.

[LurkerNan]

Eh, not such a big deal. I was married 20 years ago after all. Water under the bridge for both of us in the long run.

[Babycakes]

Oct 30, 2011 18:14:06 GMT -4 kostgard said:

I just saw this myself, and I think a big point of the movie was that Annie was suffering from a sort of arrested development. She took a stab at being a grown-up when she opened the bakery, and when that failed she basically said "screw it" slid into a depression and went back to being a kid (and it seems that she didn't go about the bakery thing in a completely adult manner since she apparently built no safety net for herself). I mean, she drives that POS car, she lives with roommates who are not her friends and it's probably an "answered an ad on Craig's List" thing, and she had a crap retail job she hated and apparently only got that one through her mother. She couldn't afford a decent 10-15 year old car? She couldn't have gotten a job that she would enjoy - like at another bakery or as the pastry chef for a restaurant? Or go to culinary school to make herself more marketable? She did none of that.

I think she allowed herself to slowly go down hill like that because it didn't really hurt her, but then her best friend moving forward with life without her pushed her down to the edge, and then Helen came by, sniffed out her weaknesses, and shoved her right off the edge. And Annie let her do it.

I thought this movie was funny, but not the funniest thing ever. It did say some interesting things about friendship and how someone like Annie can just slowly but surely slide down hill without really noticing until it is too late, and how someone like Helen can "have it all" but be just as messed up (she didn't have any female friends because she either smothered them or competed with them).

Melissa McCarthy totally stole the show. I thought the other two bridesmaids would be more involved, but they kinda faded away after they made out with each other on the plane.

I think this is a perfect review/analyzation of the movie. I spent a lot of the movie alternating between cringing, laughing my head, and crying myself silly. I related way too much with Annie. My bff of 16 years is a lawyer and when she got married I was depressed and unemployed. She wanted me to be the maid of honor, but I refused and her sister (a doctor!) had to step in. It was a painful experience. But I was completely overjoyed for her, and never once let my personal shit interfere with her big day. I still haven't completely gotten my shit together, but I do have my standards. I refuse to be used/or agree to be a fuck buddy. I'd rather be celibate than a dirty little secret. I'm hoping for a sequel with more focus on Melissa McCarthy's character. She was hysterical and stole the show.

[GirlyGhoul]

Yeah, someone a page or two back mentioned a sequel based on Melissa McCarthy's character marrying her Secret Service beau (which would pretty much be a vow renewal for the actors). I don't know if that was just wishful thinking or if there is such a project in the works. I have a hard time beliving they wouldn't want to keep the money ball rolling on this one.

But the sequel couldn't have the same formula. MM's character was not the type to put up with such foolishness like Annie was pulling. However, she could have a family member who is an automatic event ruiner that causes some drama. Would be funny if they got Jenny McCarthy for the role- heh.

I also think it would be a blast if this time the girls actually made it to Vegas and had some adventures there. It would also be interesting to check back in on Annie and Maya's characters and see how they're doing. Has Annie's life improved? How's Maya adjusting to married life? Is Helen still trying to poke her nose into everything and run the show?

But back to this movie, one thing that I really loved about it was how Maya Rudolph's character was portrayed. She was a down to earth, emotionally mature woman (til her cold feet near the end) who was marrying into a wealthy, lavish lifestyle that was still foreign and new to her. And yet, they didn't make it about her trying and failing to fit in. Nor did they have her suddenly putting on nouveau riche airs. Nor did they turn her into the usual Bridezilla cliche. She remained the same down to earth, solid woman even as Helen was literally treating her like royalty. You got the impression that Annie's gift of a collage documenting their crazy youth meant just as much to her as the plane tickets from Helen (and probably more).

And so that's what made Annie's meltdown even more painful and cringe worthy. Maya was being SOOOO nice and patient with her, checking on her feelings even when her focus should have rightfully been on her own big day. And yet Annie still crapped on her bridal shower and it was awful. But it also gave the film a lot of emotional weight when it could have been all about the comedy. If they had made Maya a Bridezilla, the audience would have been cheering Annie on. But instead, they went for a gutsier approach where the character we're supposed to be sympathizing with crosses the line into almost unforgivable behavior.

I said "almost" mainly because Maya does forgive her in the end. If I were in her shoes though, Annie would have been kicked off the friendship balcony so fast and hard she could say 'howdy' to the Earth's core.

[Ginger]

If they had made Maya a Bridezilla, the audience would have been cheering Annie on. But instead, they went for a gutsier approach where the character we're supposed to be sympathizing with crosses the line into almost unforgivable behavior.

Maya wasn't a bridezilla, but she wasn't the most considerate friend in the world either. A considerate person would have realized her unemployed best friend could not afford all the expenses of being a bridesmaid (like an $800 gown or throwing a shower or 1st class airline tickets) and declared right from the start that she would be footing all the bills for those things herself. She would not be the first bride to do that.

And she shouldn't have demoted Annie as maid of honor. She could have told Annie to let Helen take over the planning responsibilities and still have kept Annie as co-maid of honor in an honorary way as her best friend (also not an unusual thing to do).

I *was* cheering Annie on a little bit. It was completely wrong for her to ruin the shower, but if she had told her off in private later, that might have been a little justified.

[kostgard]

Nov 3, 2011 22:44:20 GMT -4 Ginger said:

Maya wasn't a bridezilla, but she wasn't the most considerate friend in the world either. A considerate person would have realized her unemployed best friend could not afford all the expenses of being a bridesmaid (like an $800 gown or throwing a shower or 1st class airline tickets) and declared right from the start that she would be footing all the bills for those things herself. She would not be the first bride to do that.

This bugged me too. Overall I liked Lillian, but I wondered why she never showed any sensitivity to Annie's financial situation (and never picked up on the fact that Annie's discomfort at the bridal shop was because of the prices). I get that it had to happen for the comedy, but they could have had one quick moment where Lillian asked if she was okay with the prices, and Annie's pride not allowing her to admit that she couldn't afford the stuff.